30 Chinese New Year Foods To Tantalize Your Taste Buds

The grilled red snapper represents prosperity and blessings in life. In Mandarian "yu", the Chinese word for fish resembles the word for surplus; therefore making fish a staple traditional dish embodies the wealth and good fortune in the coming year.

Plating whole fish especially grilled red snapper for New Year's eve is still in practice as it denotes a complete cycle of abundance, with the head representing a beginning and the tail representing the end of the year. Such preparation not only enhances the delicious flavor but also be center table adornment in festivity gatherings with ethos of food as a means of conveying wishes for prosperity and togetherness of family during this amusing time.

Everyone's favorite, dumplings are a foremost food during Chinese New Year, symbolizing wealth and prosperity due to their resemblance to ancient money ingots. Traditionally, families gather to make and enjoy dumplings together, nurturing a sense of unity and joy.

The best part is they can filled with a variety of ingredients, such as pork mixed with garlic chives or Chinese cabbage, but creative variations also include sweet treats like candy and nuts to signify good fortune and health for the coming year. Interestingly, some families even hide coins in the dumplings with the belief that whoever finds them will bring extra luck.

During Chinese New Year, the consumption of spring rolls is considered to be an indication of wealth and prosperity. These crispy, golden treats are filled with vegetables, meats, or seafood and then deep-fried to perfection.

Because of their golden deep-fried color, they resemble gold bars making them an ideal dish for auspicious occasions. Festive occasions are complete with a selection of festive dipping sauces. Thus, choose the perfect sauce such as a simple peanut sauce, hoisin sauce, or a sweet chili sauce called nuoc cham, and enjoy a crispy roll.

A dish with a delicious flavor, golden orange chicken is the perfect choice for lucky birds. Juicy chicken breast is marinated and then baked until crispy and tender; it's served with a pleasantly sweet, citrus-tangy sauce on the side made from orange juice, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, chili sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, and lemon juice. The perfect balance of flavors!

Being originated from the Hunan cuisine, this dish is often featured in the celebrations of the lunar new year, to welcome prosperity and happiness.

Tang Yuan, which is a type of soft glutinous rice ball, is believed to symbolize family unity. The process of creating these balls is easier than you might think. Simply, make a ball of rice, and for a delightful flavor, you can add the fillings of black sesame paste, red bean paste, or chopped peanuts according to your preferences.

They are customarily served in a warming ginger syrup at the Lantern Festival. The round shape of these desserts is a symbol of harmony and togetherness since it is eaten together with loved ones. Altogether, this is another fortunate dish that is incredibly popular during the celebrations of the Chinese New Year.

Although not typical in China, making and having these cookies has become a popular pastime. These golden, crispy cookies contain masked paper fortunes that have uplifted the spirits. They are a symbol of luck, wisdom, and fate.

With the help least ingredients, people can easily create fortune cookies, just gather flour, sugar, vanilla, and sesame seed oil. After mixing, give them a shape like a shell and bake it. These lucky cookies are a favorite amongst the younger generation and can be indulged with some excitement by cracking them.

Baozi, which is steamy buns, is a manifestation of prosperity and togetherness. Normally made happily into a round shape and are filled with all kinds of delicacies, like pork or chicken, red bean paste, or custard. These soft and fluffy buns perfectly go with steamed broccoli or stir-fried Chinese eggplant. Also, spicy soup will be great because then you can dunk buns in it.

In a nutshell, they are a portrayal of wholeness and during festivities, are often served in Northern China where wheat products are common since this fortune food is bread-based.

The term Nian Gao refers to a sticky rice cake that symbolizes development and the yellow millet in it denotes the indulgence of gold. It is made with glutinous rice flour and sugar. While talking about its taste, it held a sweet and chewy flavor.

Similarly, it also refers to strong familial bonds because of its round and sticky shape. Chinese people love to gift this lucky cake to their loved ones to create strong and unbreakable bonds with them.

Good luck and prosperity are portrayals of almond cookies. These crumbly, butter-like morsels with a delicious almond flavor are frequently coin-shaped to symbolize financial status.

There is yet another wonderful reason to bake almond cookies in the new year since the almond trees are the first to blossom. They usually bloom in February, which is when the Chinese New Year. That's why Chinese people also referred to as new year as the Spring Festival.

The red braise pork belly or hong shao rou, seasoned with soy sauce, sugar, and spices is the embodiment of joy and family solidarity, plus, its bright color refers to good luck.

This rich and flavorful dish is a crowd favorite. People love to serve it with plain steamed rice and stir-fried veggies or it can also be dished up with noodles, lettuce, tortillas, or buns.

Peking duck is a sumptuous dish often plated during the spring festival. With rich or tender flavor and a lavish appearance, the name denotes prosperity and opulence. Likewise, plating this dish is a way to hope for wealth and success in the following year. The round structure of the duck, especially when served whole is also comparable to a full moon- which denotes completeness and wholeness.

This amazing dish taste will be best if it is served with thin pancakes, scallions, and hoisin sauce.

The hot pot is a form of communal warmth and unity. At the table, diners are served a variety of meats, seafood, and vegetables cooked in ' slightly simmering' broth. They enjoy their hot pot time by learning mindful eating because it takes time to cook in the hot pot.

Besides, cooking food together and sharing it with loved ones, it is believed that having this fortune food boosts intimacy and nostalgia.

In Chinese culture, shrimp is a symbol of happiness and good luck. Its pronunciation is similar to "xi", with the sound "ha," resembling laughter. This is why some individuals say "The more shrimp you eat, the happier your new year will be."

Shrimp, whether stir-fried or steamed, is a traditional dish served during the New Year's celebration that brings happiness and positivity to those who enjoy it.

Lion's head meatballs (shizitou) are oversized pork meatballs and are a traditional Chinese dish that is eaten during the Lunar New Year to symbolize family unity and reunion. These meatballs are basically steamed or braised, plus, they feature cabbage (which represents the wealth in Chinese culture) leaves that cook down around the meatballs.

This impressive meatballs are often served with vegetables in a sweet and sticky sauce. The reason behind its name is the appearance of the meatball, as they are in large size compared to other regular ones.

Gai Lan- a simple Chinese broccoli dish with oyster sauce is an illustration of both prosperity and good fortune. A vibrant green hue represents wealth, and the oyster sauce provides a rich flavor sauce with the symbol of abundance.

The dish is typically stir-fried with garlic and a simple oyster sauce to enhance the slightly bitter taste of the Chinese broccoli, which is frequently served alongside other traditional dishes.

Longevity noodles are symbols of long life and good fortune. The tradition emphasizes that these noodles should be long and uncut, which represents the idea of a long, unbroken life. Eating them whole without breaking the strands is believed to bring luck and prosperity for the year ahead.

While making this fortune dish, people can add other ingredients too, such as beef, pork, broccoli, bok choy, or any other favored dishes. Thereafter, served with green onions and braise in a soy-based sauce.

Similar to dumplings, wontons are also symbolically associated with wealth and prosperity, the shape of wontons resembles ancient Chinese silver ingots, which are believed to bring good fortune and treasure.

Furthermore, the word "wonton" sounds similar to "hundun" which means "beginning," signifying a fresh start for the new year. This auspicious dish is made by applying a square wrapper (a dough skin made with the help of flour, egg, water, and salt) flat in the palm of one's hand, putting a small amount of filling in the center and sealing the wonton into the preferred shape by squeezing the wrapper's edges together with the fingers.

Congee, a rice porridge, is often eaten on the seventh day of the Lunar New Year, known as "Renri" or "People's Day", where it represents wishes for plenty to eat and wear, aligning with the saying "abundant clothes and ample food".

Youtio, which are crispy fried dough sticks, complement congee perfectly and are enjoyed for their texture and flavor, making them a popular breakfast choice. Together, they embody cultural significance and the hope for prosperity in the new year.

Known as "lo bak go" in Cantonese, symbolizes good fortune and wealth. The word cake (gao) sounds similar to the word for "rise" or "tall," suggesting growth and advancement in the coming year.

This savory dish is made primarily from grated radish (which symbolizes good luck) and rice flour. Overall, this cake is enjoyed during the lunar new year to wish for an increase in wealth and happiness.

Mandarin oranges are like brand ambassadors of good fortune according to Chinese belief. Their bright orange color is associated with wealth, while the pronunciation of "mandarin" in Chinese sounds similar to words for "wealth" and "good luck".

This amazing connection makes them a popular and compulsion gift to give their loved ones. Likewise, their round shape resembles the sun, aligning with positive energy and abundance.

Cooked in stir-fries, soups, or stews bamboo shoots add a delightful crunch and earthy flavor to festive dishes, which makes a meaningful addition to new year meals. It symbolizes "well wishes and wealth." This tradition is rooted in the belief that bamboo, with its rapid growth and resilience, brings good luck and prosperity to families. The shoots are often prepared in various dishes, which highlights their versatility as a vegetable.

Additionally, the way bamboo grows can resemble lucky numbers, further enhancing its auspicious significance during this festive time.

Symbol of fortune and wealth, mung bean cake is made from mung beans and sometimes sweetened with sugar. The act of consuming this delicacy is tied to the idea of growth and abundance, as the green color of mung beans represents vitality and renewal. Similarly, yellow mung bean cake symbolizes wealth and good fortune.

Green mung bean is prepared with skin-on mung beans, while yellow mung bean cake is made with peeled mung beans. In essence, sharing these cakes among family and friends during the new year reinforces bonds and conveys wishes for a prosperous year ahead, making it an integral part of the celebratory customs surrounding the New Year in Chinese culture.

During Lunar New Year, the traditional "candy box", known as "chuen hup" or the "tray of togetherness" plays a specific role. This box is filled with an assortment of candies and treats, each symbolizing various blessings and good fortune for the following year.

Among the most notable candies are "melon seeds", which represent wealth, and "coconut candies", referring to family unity due to their phonetic resemblance to familial terms. Other popular treats as sesame cookie balls for happiness, and ginger or peanuts for health and longevity.